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As many of you know, the monitor for the HUD housing settlement (brokered under the Spano administration) has cited 7 communities as having "exclusionary zoning". Croton is one of those communities according to HUD. This has been reported in the New York Times, The Journal News, The Wall Street Journal, etc.
Examples of exclusionary/restrictive zoning (as the monitor/HUD defines it and has again been reported in the New York Times, the Journal News, the Wall Street Journal) includes items such as special permits for housing projects that would limit families/multi-family housing instead of as of right, limitations on the number of bedrooms, lot size, building height size, density, limitations on the placement of multi-family buildings on single family home residential blocks, etc.
HUD met with the village in August of this year; the village hoped to explain their zoning; however, the monitor was not moved and Croton is still cited as a community that engages in "exclusionary/restrictive" zoning. Residents only learned of this meeting through freedom of information.
County Executive Robert Astorino was given an ultimatum: either agree that the monitor was correct about Croton and the other communities having engaged in "exclusionary zoning" or lose federal grant money.
Specifically, in a JOURNAL NEWS article dated 8/13/13, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development gave Westchester County one last chance to follow its directions in analyzing zoning in municipalities covered by a 2009 fair housing settlement or lose $7.4 million in community development grants from 2011. The county was told that it must agree to adopt a recently completed analysis by the monitor overseeing the settlement that found zoning in seven towns and villages keeps out low-income individuals and families in violation of state law. Again, Croton is one of those 7.
In addition, the county was told that it had to do an analysis of race-based impediments in one town to HUD’s satisfaction and agree to complete 30 others by Oct. 15. In a letter from Aug. 9, HUD spoonfed the county language that up til now county officials have refused to put in their analyses, including that certain zoning rules may exclude potential residents based on race, national origin or family status.
County Executive Astorino refused to do so.
According to additional documents obtained from the village pursuant to a FOIL request, the village attempted to have a second meeting with the monitor in September. That meeting did not happen for various reasons. It is unknown at this time whether that second meeting was re-scheduled. Additional freedom of information requests to the village will be necessary once again.
The monitor has, in writing, informed Croton that it has an "obligation" of 100 plus "affordable housing" units.
County Executive Robert Astorino has steadfastly refused to allow HUD/the housing monitor to dismantle local zoning, especially in the 7 communities cited by the monitor as engaging in "exclusionary/restrictive" zoning. Again, Croton is one of the 7 communities accused by the monitor/HUD.
When you vote on Tuesday, you may want to take these facts into consideration.
You can review the HUD/monitor documents online at the County website: http://www3.westchestergov.com/
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Wednesday 30 October 2013
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